Inspiration for dreamers and seekers

What is the Meaning of Venus Retrograde?

How to Interpret Venus Retrograde Transits & What Each Zodiac Sign Can Expect in 2018

Venus is the goddess of love, attraction, and values. She goes retrograde on October 6th, 2018, and goes direct on November 15th. This year’s Venus Retrograde is about where we go to extremes to get what we want – and how to balance it.

In this post we’ll break down the Venus Retrograde Protocol so you can maximize this transit any time the love goddess retreats into her lair. Then we’ll discuss the unique flavor of this year’s transit through Scorpio and Libra and the implications for your zodiac sign.

Venus Retrograde 2018 Key Dates

Sept. 2: Venus Retrograde shadow period starts

Oct. 5: Venus goes retrograde at 10° Scorpio

Oct. 31: Venus reverses into Libra

Nov. 15: Venus goes direct at 25° Libra

Dec. 17: Venus Retrograde shadow period ends

Cover image Pentagram of Venus credit: eqnoftheday.com

Venus Retrograde Protocol

The following applies to any Venus Retrograde, including 2018.

Love & Romance: Embody what you find most magnetic in others and in yourself. No chasing. Give to yourself that which you seek from others. Fall in love with your shadow.

Money: Pay off debts. Ask yourself: Where did my beliefs about my self-worth come from? Are they even my beliefs, or did I absorb them from a loved one in an attempt to protect them from themselves – or to stay artificially close to them?

Beauty: Do not make any irreversible cosmetic changes, especially surgical ones. Throw out expired beauty products and recommit to your core self-care rituals.

Creativity: Finish up old projects and experiment behind the scenes till Venus goes direct. If possible don’t release anything new until then.

Venus Retrograde Protocol by Zodiac Sign

For 2018, read for your sun sign. You can also read the following according to house transit – find out how to pull your chart in the post Astrology 101.

Aries / 7th & 8th House

Pay down debts, metaphysical or otherwise. Re-integrate any soul fragments shattered via past trauma and heartbreak. Each piece is in a separate piece of baggage – empty them all and burn them in the fire of your well-aerated soul.

Be careful with any old flames who pop back up. Fierce self-love first.

Taurus / 6th & 7th House

Mirror work: what do your relationships reflect about how you treat yourself? Consider that what you’re attracted to in others is actually a quality you personally want to develop.

What repressed emotions trigger you to deny yourself what you need? 30-day challenge: nourish your emotional body on a daily basis and observe what comes up.

As an air sign, you thrive when you travel light. And by November, you’ve lightened your load considerably and are ready to focus on your projects. Experiment with new creative concepts but save the big reveals for mid-December.

Cancer / 4th & 5th House

“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

Leonard Cohen

Pain can fuel great art but it can also drain our creativity and passion. In October you dive deep into your own shadow and break the dam on your life force.

Release buried emotions around your origin story. Create a container where you can wallow a bit. Key word is container: it has four sides, and you’re either in it or you’re out.

Ponder the subjective reality of your own belief systems. Are some of your thoughts actually an invasive species? Which beliefs do you consciously want to keep and cultivate?

Virgo / 2nd & 3rd House

Lay off the sarcasm and Devil’s advocacy. Apply your penetrating intellect to articulating your emotional truths rather than witty deflections.

By December, you’ve disassembled the destructive thought patterns that created dissonance in relationships. You can bond from a place of clarity, authenticity, and mutual appreciation.

Libra / 1st & 2nd House

Commit to unflinchingly identifying where the hell these obstacles to self-love even came from. There’s no judgment here. Just pure alchemy, from lead to gold.

By the time Venus moves back into Libra, you’re in classic Venus Retrograde mode: re-commit to your ideals and polish your aesthetic. Create a goddess altar to yourself.

Scorpio / 12th & 1st House

You have a tendency to idealize others as a way to make your own intense attachments feel safer. Practice honoring the humanity in yourself and others by not putting anyone on a pedestal.

Notice what qualities in others are beautiful to you. Love and nurture those same qualities in yourself.

Sagittarius / 11th & 12th House

Your Venus Retrograde quest is to turn and face your shadow squarely. Befriend it. Literal debts and emotional baggage show you the way and teach you that you don’t release karma by denying or demonizing it but by forgiving it.

Through this self-acceptance, you deepen the friendship you have with your lover and form a more authentic, unconditional bond with your friends.

Capricorn / 10th & 11th House

Your Venus Retrograde theme is to hold yourself accountable to your own Higher Self – not just rotely accomplishing your to-do list, no matter the cost to you.

Ask yourself what you value most about existing on Earth as a member of humanity. How can you be more structured about enjoying it? Your bonds are as deep as your bond with yourself.

Aquarius / 9th & 10th House

You may have been going to extremes with work lately. Why? You find your compass this Venus Retrograde.

You may think you’re trying to achieve a career goal, but you’re actually motivated by emotional depth. Let yourself be guided by love and appreciation of others – and yourself, regardless of your achievements.

Pisces / 8th & 9th House

You’re craving growth and depth in your relationships but it’s time to take a step back.

Where have you gotten out of alignment with your own values around love and self-worth? Any imbalance may be rooted in fear of your own beauty, in every sense of the word.

Hi! I'm Kiriko. I'm a licensed hairstylist & makeup artist and a professional beach witch. I have a beauty blog kikibabemagic.com, and I love to connect with other beauty fiends, adventurers, and magic makers all over the world.
I’ve been practicing magic formally since age 10, when I read my first book about palmistry. From there I got into other mystical arts. Today I consider myself an eclectic nature witch, and I mostly practice astrology, tarot, glamour magic, and spellwork.
I'm based in California and am currently exploring Bali, Indonesia. I'm a quintuple Sagittarius, and I love drawing, sci-fi, traveling, coffee, magic potions, and sunbathing.